Author Topic: Docs, what could have caused my Gyno?  (Read 1512 times)

Offline finsfan16

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Hi doctors, I have gynecomastia, the puffy nipples kind. About 4 cms in diameter and I despise them. Can anyone tell me what may have caused them based on the history I'm providing below? I intend to visit and endocrinologist soon, my appointment is in 3 months, but that does not help my anxiety. Please give me some expert insight, do I have a big issue on my hand? Or could the reasons I listed be the culprit to blame for the development of this?

Anyhow I have about 3 leads, but none are foolproof and I don't completely buy them. What do you all think?
1.) Chronic dieting starting at 10 yo. I distinctly remember dieting to lose about 15 lbs prior to 6th grade to impress girls, being the naive and determine boy that I was, I took drastic measures. Skipping meals for about 2 months and sometimes starving myself throughout the day to lose weight. It worked and I lost weight. I skipped lunch for the first semester of 6th grade to save money, second semester of sixth grade I remember that I became more inhibited and more moody. I started wearing undershirts to conceal my chest some. 7th grade- my gyno got to the present state and I was overweight which made it look worse, I also was way more sensitive and self-conscious than ever at this point. I dieted again during the summer after 7th grade and lost some weight, prior to 9th grade I dropped about 40 lbs in 2 months, as a result I remember having a poorer mood that year and making less friends. 10th grade- (only year of HS I enjoyed) I worked out and began eating healthy and not skipping meals= Better mood, more friends, 3.7 GPA. Junior year- Started skipping lunch again and stuffing myself after school, I started feeling like shiite! I developed deep anxiety, brain fog, and I gained about 40 lbs during the school year. I found out just this year, that I have celiacs and I was experiencing the symptoms of this beginning of junior year. I lost weight again by the same old method during the summer before Senior year, I think I dropped about 10- 20 lbs I think. Fast forward to now, I'm 19 and I have dropped from 210 to 164; the right way may I add, my diet is nearly perfect and it is gluten free! I feel better, my thoughts feel sharp, I feel stronger and more endured. This all leads me to believe that my chronic dieting throughout my life has inhibited testosterone production in me, seeing how I feel fantastic now when eating right, but yet I still have these damn moobs.
2.) Genetics- My brother has gyno too, however, I think he has pseudo, not sure. Must be some correlation right? He's really self-conscious about it too, he also has low T (272 total), at 25 btw. My dad and me also gather fat in our stomach and lower back (symptoms of low T I believe).
3.) Celiacs? Maybe, could it have some correlation? I didn't develop the symptoms of this till 16 I think, but who knows, maybe I had a milder form of it when I was younger. Maybe the malnutrition of it played a part in suppressing testosterone.
4.) Medication- Not very likely, but maybe. I distinctly remember using a prescription hair loss foam when I was 10 because I had a bald spot on the top of my head. I'm not sure of the name of this product, I need to look into it.

Test Results:
Total Testosterone: 400
LH- 5.8
FSH- 2.0

I was scared that I had Klinefelters but after abundant hypochondriasis induced researching I think it's safe to rule this out. I have normal testis, and normal FSH and LH; the 2 most prevalent diagnosing criteria. I even visited a genetic counselor who told me that it's extremely unlikely, like less than a percent chance of having it due to aforementioned reasons.  My testosterone is still somewhat low I fear, I think I might have effed it up with malnutrition; or maybe I do have a serious problem. Can anyone provide any insight on this. Thanks in advance guys.

Offline Litlriki

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You provide a great deal of history, but the most likely cause of your gynecomastia is the same as the majority of young men going through puberty...PUBERTY.  Depending on the series, 30 - 70% of men develop gynecomastia, and 95% of those go away within 3 years of onset.  That's a lot of gynecomastia, and it doesn't take malnutrition or other maneuvers or diseases, it just happens.  Your obsession with figuring out the cause will not remedy the end result.  The main reason for knowing the etiology is to avoid recurrence, but again, in the case of gynecomastia resulting from puberty, since you don't go through puberty again, it's not likely to recur. 

Good luck,

Rick Silverman
Dr. Silverman, M.D.
Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery
29 Crafts Street
Suite 370
Newton, MA 02458
617-965-9500
800-785-7860
www.ricksilverman.com
www.gynecomastia-boston.com
rick@ricksilverman.com

Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery


 

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